Drying-drum.



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PATENTED JAN. 8, 190% E. VI-AL.

DRYING DRUM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.17,1906.

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Emile Z L cLZ,

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2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 15211676502 63ml x THZJQORRIS PETERS co., WASHINGTON, u 1:

DRYING-DRUM.

Specification. of Letters Batent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1907'- Application filed'March 1'7, 1906. Serial No. 306,513.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMILE VIAL, engineer, a citizen of the French Republic, residing at Rue Belliard 142, Brussels, Belgium, have invented new and useful Improvements in Drying-Drums; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My present invention relates to dryingdrums, the object being to provide an apparatus of this kind wherein the materials to be dried are heated by means of fire-gases pressed through the drum in a continuous way, said materials being continuously agitated within the drum by means of s ecial agitating devices rotated indepen ently within the drum, as more fully described and claimed hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein-.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the drying-drum and appliances, and Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section on line a a of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device, partly broken away.

The drying-drum is formed of a cylindrical metal container 1, the ends of which are closed by means of plates 2 3. Said container is provided with four openings, two manholes 4 5, Fig. 2, for the charging of the drum, and two opposite passages 6 7 for the circulation of the heating-gases and the outlet of steam generated duringthe drying operation. The drum is preferably arranged within a heat-insulating chamber, (shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 and indicated by the references C D E,) and within said chamber the drum is supported on two pairs of loose rollers 8 9, arranged on two horizontal shafts 1 1 '12 and rotated by the frictional engagement of the drum, which is actuated at a relatively slow rate of speed by means of a worm 13, meshing with a worm-wheel 14,

' secured to one end of the drum.

The inner surfaces of the drum 1 .are plain, as shown, and through the drum extends a longitudinal independent shaft 15, j ournaled in bearings 16 17, arranged in the gas conduits or passages 18 19, said shaft being actuated from the outside by any suitable transmission i. e., a worm and worm-wheel as shown in Fig. 1. Within the drum 1 the shaft carries four or more hubs 2O 21 22 23, provided with four or more series 24 25 26 27 of six fiat iron s okes 28 29 30 31 32 33, Fig. 2, carrying at t eir free ends rigid shoes 34 35 36 37 38 39. These shoes serve to support and rotate circularly at a very small distance from the drum-walls six pairs of horizontal sheet-iron plates or bars 40 41 ex tending along the entire length of the drum and inclined oppositely in each pair, a small free space 44 being left between the adjacent ends of each pair of plates 40 41.

All the spokes arranged to register with one another in the several series are connected symmetrically by means of longitudinal rods 45 46 47 48, and the end series 24 and 27 are furthermore provided with fiat.

iron plates 24 27 respectively, supported by the ends of the rods 49 50 and serving to clean by their rotation the vertical side walls of the drum 1.

The most essential feature of my improved arrangement consists in the provision, in the space comprised between the two end series of spokes 24 27, of a particular structure formed of chains 51 52 53 54 55 56, made of equal length and secured at one end'to the horizontal connecting-rods in close proximity to the shaft 15, and at the other end engaging the free space 44 left between the opposite end of the rakes 40 41, wherein the chains are securely held in place. These parallel and somewhat stretched chains are arranged sufiiciently close to each other between each series of spokes to form six series of special platforms, as shown in Fig. 2.

The operation of the improved dryingdrum is as follows: The arrangement of double rakes 40 41 has for its object to produce a useful effect in both directions when it is desired. However, in practice the shaft 15 is normally rotated in the direction of the rotation imparted to. the drum 1, but at a higher rate of speed than the latter. So long as the materials to be dried are in a more or less liquid state the rakes 40 41 and chains 51 56 serve to increase considerably the heat ing and vaporizing surfaces in the current of heatinggases; but when the materials begin to be thickened and aggregated the rakes 4O 41, rotating at a higher rate of speed than the drum, successively raise the materials and bring them upon the respective platforms, as shown by arrows in Fig. 2. The materials thus fractioned and projected toward the central current of gases are therefore constantly rolled and sieved by the action of the rotating platforms, whereby increased surfacesthereof are brought into contact with the heating-gases Itwill be easily understood that in these conditions the most gluey materials must be granulated, pulverized, and completely dried in a very short time. The circulation of the hot gases entering the drum at F and the discharge of the steam are obtained, on the one hand, through the pipe G, connected by pipes G outside of the insulating-chamber O D E to the suctionopenings of an exhauster V, and, on the other hand, through the ipes H H H the latter, H, surrounding t e dischargenozzle X of said exhauster. The effect of this arrangement of ipes H, H, H, and X is to discharge through the pipe H by the discharge of the exhauster into the pipe H a larger quantity of gas and steam than that discharged by suction through the pipes G G, whereby the motive power necessary for producing the suction is considerably reduced.

Heretofore horizontal drying-drums of well-known construction could not be successfully used for drying gluey sediments by means of hot gases passing through the drums for the following reasons: In these prior constructions the walls of the drums are provided with yielding dividing devices, which are not capable of raising the mate- .rials, and the latter remain, therefore, on the bottom part of the drum and are not sub mitted to the drying action of the hot gases. In other constructions the drums are provided with rigid dividing devices which are adapted to raise the materials to be dried, but-permit the same to drop in blocks upon the bottom of the drum, so that the useful contact surfaces are not appreciably increased. Furthermore, these rigid devices are soon covered with a hard layer of dry material, so that the operation thereof is hindered, no practical means for cleaning the same during the operation having been devised heretofore. Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I 1. In a drying apparatus of the class described, the combination with a horizontal rotatable drum made with plain walls, charging and dischargingopemngs in the cylindrical wall thereof, circular openings in the vertical side walls of the drum and means for rotating the latter at a relatively low rate of speed: of a horizontal independently-rotatable shaft, extending longitudinally and centrally through the drum, a plurality of suitable platforms carried by said shaft, means for raising the materials to be dried from the bottom of the drum upon said plat- 'forms, means for independently rotating said shaft at a higher rate of speed, and means for energically causing the circulation of hot gases through the drum and discharging the steam generated from the same, substantially as set forth.

2. In a drying apparatus of the class described, the combination with a horizontal tical side walls of the drum and means for ro-- tating the latter at a relatively low rate of speed: of a horizontal independently-rotatable shaft, extending longitudinally and cen trally through the drum, a plurality of hubs secured to said shaft at suitable distances from each other, a series of radial arms on each hub, suitable raising devices carried on the free ends of said arms and arranged in close proximity to the cylindrical wall of the drum, a plurality of suitable platforms supported by the several series of arms and ada ted to receive the materials raised by sai devices means for independently rotating said shaft at a higher rate of s eed, and means requiring a relatively wear motive power for energically causing the circulation of hot gases through the drum and the discharge of steam from the latter, substantically as set forth.

3. In a drying apparatus of the class described, the combination with a horizontal rotatable drum made with plain walls, charging and discharging openings in the cylindrical wall of the drum, circular passages in the vertical side walls thereof, suitable circular rails, secured to the outside of the cylindrical wall, pairs of loosegrooved rollers engaged by said rails, horizontal shafts arranged longitudinally below the drum and carrying said loose rollers, means for rotating the drum on the latter at a relatively low rate of speed, and a suitable heat-insulating casing around the drum and its appliances: of a horizontal independently rotatable shaft extending longitudinally and centrally through the drum, a plurality of suitable platforms carried by said shaft, means for raising the materials to be dried from the bottom of the drum upon said platforms, means for independently rotating said shaft at a higher rate of speed, and means for energically causing the circulation of hot gases through the drum and discharging the steam generated from the same, substantially as set forth. 1

4. In a drying apparatus of the class described, the combination with a horizontal rotatable drum made with plain walls, charging and discharging openings in the cylindricalwall of the drum, circularpassages inthe vertical side walls thereof, suitable circular rails, secured to the outside of the cylindrical wall, pairs of loose grooved rollers engaged by said rails, horizontal shafts arranged longitudinally below the drum and carrying said loose rollers, means for rotating the drum on the latter at a relatively low rate of speed, and a suitable heat-insulating casing around the drum and its appliances, of a horizontal independently-rotatable shaft, extending longitudinally and centrally through the cir- FIG cular passages inthe vertical side-walls of the drum, a plurality of hubs secured to said shaft at suitable distances fromeachother: a

series of radial arms on each hub, suitable raising devices arranged on the free ends of said arms and in closeproximity of the cylindrical wall of thedrum, a lurality of suitable platforms supported the several series of arms and adapted to receive the materials raised by said devices means for independently rotating said central shaft at a higher rate of speed, and means for energically causing the circulation of hot gases through the drum and the discharge of steam therefrom, substantially as set forth.

5. In a drying apparatus of'the class described, the combination with a horizontal rotatable drum made with plain Walls, charging and discharging openings in the cylindrical wall of the drum, circular passages in the vertical side walls thereof, suitable circular rails, secured to the outside of the cylindrical wall, pairs of loose grooved rollers engaged by said rails, horizontal shafts arranged longitudinally below the drum and carrying said loose rollers, means for rotating the drum on the latter at a relatively low rate of speed, and a suitable heat-insulating casing around the drum and its appliances, of a horizontal independently rotatable shaft extending longitudinally and centrally through the circular passages in the vertical side walls of the drum, a plurality of hubs secured to said shaft at suitable distances from each other, a series ofradial arms on each hub, a substantially triangular rigid shoe secured to the free end of each radial arm, longitudinally-extending oppositelyinclined rakes secured to the shoes of the several arms, suitable platforms carried by the latter to receive the materials raised by said rakes, means for rotating said central shaft independently and means for energically causing the circulation of hot gases through the drum and the discharge of steam therefrom, substantially as set forth.

6. In a drying apparatus of the class described, the combination with a horizontal rotatable drum made with plain walls, charging and discharging openings in the cylindrical wall of the drum, circular passages in the vertical side walls thereof, suitable circular rails, secured to the outside of the cylindrical wall, pairs of loose grooved rollers engaged by said rails, horizontal shafts arranged longitudinally below the drum and carrying said loose rollers, means for rotating the drum on the latter at a relatively low rate of speed, and a suitable heat-insulating casing around the drum and its appliances, of a horizontal independently-rotatable shaft extending longitudinally and centrally through the circular passages in the vertical side walls of the drum, a plurality of hubs secured to said shaft at suitable distances from each other," a series of radial arms oneach hub, a substantially triangular rigid shoe secured to the-free end of each radial arm ,longitudinallyextending oppositely-inclined rakes secured to the shoes of the several arms and extending over the entire length of the drum, longitudinal rods connecting the radial arms of the several hubs, parallel chains extending from each pair of rakes over the connecting rods to the corresponding hubs to form a sort of platform, means for rotating said central shaft independently and means for energically causing the circulation of hot gases through the drum and the discharge of steam therefrom, substantially as set forth.

7. In a drying apparatus of the class described, the combination with a horizontal rotatable drum made with plain walls, charging and discharging openings in the cylindrical Wall of the drum, circular passages in the vertical side walls thereof, suitable circular rails, secured to the outside of the cylindrical wall, pairs of loose grooved rollers engaged by said rails, horizontal shafts arranged longitudinally belowuthe drum and carrying said loose rollers, means for rotating the drum on the latter at a relatively low rate of speed, and a suitable heat-insulating casing around the drum and its appliances: of a horizontal independently-rotatable shaft extending longitudinally and centrally through the drum, a plurality of suitable platforms carried by said shaft, means for raising the materials to be dried from the bottom of the drum upon said platforms, means for independently rotating said shaft at a higher rate of speed, a suitable eXhauster outside of the drum, a pipe connection between the steamdischarge passage of the latter and the inlet of the exhauster, and a pipe connection between said discharge-passage and the outlet or discharge of the eXhauster, substantially as set forth.

8. In a drying apparatus of the class described, the combination with a horizontal rotatable drum made with plain walls, charging and discharging openings in the cylindrical wall of the drum, circular passages in the vertical side walls thereof, suitable circular rails, secured to the outside of the cylindrical wall, pairs of loose grooved rollers engaged by said rails, horizontal shafts arranged longitudinally below the drum and carrying said loose rollers, means for rotating the drum on the latter at a relatively low rate of speed, and a suitable heat-insulating casing around the drum and its appliances,-of a horizontal independently-rotatable shaft extending longitudinally and centrally through the circular passages in the vertical side walls of the drum, a plurality of hubs secured to said shaft at suitable distances from each other, a series of radial arms on each hub, a substantially triangular rigid shoe secured to the free end of each radial arm, longitudiend series of radial arms and adapted to scrape the vertical side Walls of the drum, means for rotating the central shaft independently, a suitable eXhauster outside of the drum, a pipe connection between the steamdischarge passage of the latter and the inlet of the eXhauster, and a pipe connection between said discharge-passage and the outlet or discharge of the eXhauster, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EMILE VIAL.

Witnesses CHARLES l-lONOLD, GREGORY PHELAN. 

